Policies, contracts, letters, guidance and HR support tools for UK employers.
View full libraryIf an employee is unable to return to their job as a result of long-term absence and there are no suitable alternatives, send this model letter to confirm dismissal.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Termination of employment
I refer to our meeting on [date] concerning your absence from work due to illness.
Following our earlier consultations with you and warnings that [Company] might have to consider terminating your employment on the grounds of your long-term absence from work since [date], you attended, at our request, a consultation with [name of doctor].
[Name of doctor] [advised that it would be inadvisable for you to return to your current employment.] OR [recommended that [details of recommendations] would be necessary to enable your return to work. We consider these recommendations and discussed them with you, however have decided that they are not viable [give reasons].]
We held a meeting with you on [date] during
Need the complete Dismissal process?
Explore the Dismissal templates toolkitA long-term absence dismissal letter is a formal communication from an employer to an employee who has been absent from work for an extended period, usually due to illness or injury. The letter typically informs the employee that their employment will be terminated due to their prolonged absence.
The letter should state the reasons for the dismissal, including the length of the absence and the employer's efforts to support the employee during this time. The letter should also inform the employee of their rights to appeal the decision and any entitlements they may have under their employment contract, such as notice pay or redundancy pay.
It is important for employers to handle long-term absence dismissals sensitively and fairly, following all relevant employment laws and regulations. Employers should also provide appropriate support to employees who are absent due to illness or injury, including access to occupational health services and reasonable adjustments to enable a return to work where possible.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Long term absence dismissal letter, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our Long Term Sick Absence Review Meeting Script ensures structured discussions to address employee health concerns and plan effective support strategies.
Our dismissal appeal letter template can help you formally challenge your dismissal.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Long term absence dismissal letter template, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing dismissal processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
Dismissal toolkit
30 templates
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